Coordinators' Couples' Contest!
by SheriMeister
Summary: What if May wasn't the only coordinator who knows Ash that comes to Sinnoh? A certain rival of her's also accompanied her to the Sinnoh region. Another type of contest has replaced the Wallace Cup: The Coordinators' Couples' Contest!
1. The Princess and Her Knight

**Hey everyone! This is my first story on fanfiction, and a contestshipping one at that! I hope this story will be enough to satisfy everyone! Enjoy the first chapter! By the way, there are spoilers for "A Full Course Tag Battle" in this chapter, so if you haven't watched that episode yet, and you don't like spoilers either, I advise you not to read it.**

**Summary: What if May wasn't the only coordinator who knows Ash that comes to Sinnoh? What if a certain green haired rival of hers shows up together with her as well? Another type of contest has replaced the Wallace Cup, and this contest is a Coordinator Couples Contest. Can the coordinators find a partner to help them in winning the Twin Aqua Ribbon?**

**Info: The Coordinator Couples Contest is a contest that popped into my head one day. In that contest, a team of two, consisting of a boy and a girl, will work together and advance further in the contest. The rules state that the two people do not need to be a real couple. They can be friends, family members, or even enemies. (If they can work together well enough.) In the appeals round, the team gets more points if the two coordinators show off themselves, as well as their Pokemon. The coordinator couples will battle together against other couples. Like any other contest, the last two couples will battle it out for the Twin Aqua Ribbon, and the winning duo will each receive identical ribbons that can be used for the Grand Festival in either Kanto, Johto, Hoenn, or Sinnoh.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Pokemon, it's characters, or it's episodes! This goes for all the chapters in this fic!  
**

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**The Princess and Her Knight**

**Dawn P.O.V**

Wow, I can't believe I'm finally going the meet the coordinator Ash and Brock used to travel with. She's even called the Princess of Hoenn! I'm so excited, I can't wait! She must have a hardcore rival too, like me!

"Now Piplup, aren't you excited we're going to get a chance to meet the coordinator Ash and Brock used to travel around with?" I crouched down and asked Piplup.

Before I got an answer from Piplup, a heard a Pokemon. "Beautifly!" was the cry. A Beautifly came flying in our direction. It was really pretty and cute! I wonder if it's a wild Beautifly. I activated my Pokedex and the usual mechanical voice purred out.

**Beautifly, the Butterfly Pokemon, and the evolved form of Silcoon. When flowers are in full bloom, Beautifly fly about gathering pollen. **

Cool. If it's a wild Beautifly, I would really love to catch it. It would make a great addition to my team, and for sure, it'll help me win a lot of contests!

"Wait, do I know this Beautifly?" I suddenly heard Ash ask. So it has a trainer? Bummer. Wait, maybe it's…

"You'll find out soon enough," answered Brock.

"Yoo-hoo!" came an excited cry. "Long time no see!" I squinted to get a better view of the person waving at us on the ship, and, sure enough, it was the Princess of Hoenn.

"Wow, Ash, Pikachu, and Brock, it's great to see you!" greeted May when she finally got on land.

"It's great to see you too," answered Ash. May looks pretty cool. She must be very close to becoming a first class coordinator.

"Hey Ash, Brock," greeted another person I didn't know. He came down right after May. He looked pretty cute, I have to say. I wonder what relationship he has with May. Hey, maybe he's her boyfriend!

"Here you go, for Dawn and Piplup. It's so nice to meet you. I hope you like it," said May as she handed me a small box.

"Wow, thank you May, it's adorable," I replied after opening the small box. The piplup keychain was so cute! She really knows how to pick out cute stuff. "I finally get to meet you after all this time. They call you the Princess of Hoenn, right?"

"Princess? More like Klutzy Nervous Crybaby," taunted the green haired guy, flicking his bangs. Does he hate May or something?

"Well excuse me for not being as good as you, Drew," retorted May, slightly pissed. So his name was Drew, huh? Wait, he looks familiar…I've seen him in some contests, yeah!

May turned to me and said, "Oh right, you don't know him, do you Dawn?"

"Well, I've seen him in some contests," I answered. Drew snickered and flicked his hair again.

"Um, ok. Dawn, this is Drew Hayden. Drew, say hi to Dawn," introduced May.

"Hello there, nice to meet you," I greeted.

"Pleasure to meet you too," he answered, offering his hand. I wonder if this guy's is May's rival or boyfriend…but I'm shaking hands with another great coordinator! Wow, this really is my day.

"So Dawn, who're you planning to partner up with for the double contest?" asked May.

"Partner up… the double contest! I haven't gotten anyone yet! Does it HAVE to be a boy/girl pair, May?" I whined. I don't think Kenny's here, and I don't want to mess with Drew either. I wonder if Ash can be my partner… I'll consider it.

"Yeah, unfortunately. I'm going to be stuck with grass head over there." May jerked her head in Drew's direction.

"People should be feeling sorry for me, entering a contest with someone like you," said Drew, keeping his cool. This may sound strange, but I think that's their way of play-flirting. Yes, I know, I sense strange things.

"If you two don't want to compete together, why did you decide to do it anyway?" asked Ash, out of nowhere. "There's still Harley and Solidad to partner up with."

"Well, you see, Harley and Solidad decided that they wanted to stay in Johto and continue their contests there, instead of coming to compete here. Me and Drew were the only ones who were interested, so, we agreed to be partners for this contest," explained May.

"Oh… I see," muttered Ash.

"Hey, May," I whispered. May came closer to me. "Do you like Drew or something? I kind of feel like he's flirting with you and vice versa." I could literally feel the heat coming off May's face. Her face had gotten pinkish-red in just a few moments. Now that was some total blushing.

"N-N-No, of course not! We're just rivals, that's all!" stammered May.

"I don't even know if I can call someone as pathetic as you a rival, May," taunted Drew, again.

"Do you ever stop taunting her, Drew?" asked Brock.

Instead of answering, Drew just flicked his bangs again. Wow, such arrogance. We started to walk away from the port. Ash and Brock asked May a lot of questions. Those three must be really close.

"So, May, when did you arrive in Sinnoh?" I asked.

"Three days ago. There was something I really wanted to do before the Wallace Cup got started. So first, I went to Snowpoint City," answered May.

I continued, "So what did you do?" Why Snowpoint City? It's super cold there! Why not come to Lake Valor from the very start?

"I'll show you," said May. "Now, Glaceon, on stage!" The brunette threw a Pokeball, which released a beautiful Glaceon.

Everyone gasped. I'm so envious. That Glaceon's really gorgeous! "May, you Eevee evolved. That's great!" exclaimed Brock. Eevees are really rare! She's so lucky! I switched on my Pokedex once again to analyze the Glaceon.

**Glaceon, the Fresh Snow Pokemon, and the evolved form of Eevee. Glaceon can freeze the fur on its body and make it stick out like sharp needles. **

Talk about dangerous. Instead, I exclaimed a, "So cute!" Yes, it is still cute, even though it's dangerous too.

"See, over near Snowpoint City, there's an ice cave where a huge ice crystal causes Eevee to evolve," started May. Of course. That's where the famous ice crystal is! Snowpoint City's famous for that landmark.

May continued, "Since I was coming to Sinnoh anyway, I figured it would be fun to return to the Johto contests with a newly evolved Pokemon."

Drew flicked his hair once more and said, "Too bad it won't do you any good, May. You know I'll always be one step ahead of you."

"Can you never stop degrading me?!" yelled May, clearly pissed off. That arrogant Drew… Well, if it's his way of getting May's attention, then so be it.

Ash cut in, "How many Johto ribbons do you have by now, May?"

May stopped glaring at Drew and answered, "I've got three of them."

Wow… she already got three! I'm stuck with one and she's got three! Man, she's good. I'll have to watch her battle strategies closely in the contest.

"Of course, May, you can never catch up to me," teased Drew.

A vein popped in May's forehead and she retorted, "Well, for you information, Drew, don't forget that I already beat you in the Kanto Grand Festival!"

Oh my God! She beat her rival already! God, I wonder when I'll ever beat Zoey, or Nando! Drew uttered a "hmph" and continued, "That was just pure luck, May. I wouldn't get too cocky about it. Besides, I already have **four** Johto ribbons." Oh Lord, this guy's good.

I swear, I saw fire rising from May at that moment. If I didn't interrupt their little brawl, I think they would've fought a battle already! "May, can you show me your ribbons?" I pathetically asked.

"Sure," said May, softening her face. "Ta-da!' I looked at the three gleaming ribbons in her case. Not wanting to leave her rival out, I asked for his ribbons as well. He opened his case and four beautiful ribbons showed themselves.

"Wow, real Johto ribbons," I commented. I have no idea why I said that. Must be because I'm in the presence of two very talented coordinators.

"Thank you!" said May.

"Remember May, you still have a long way to go before beating me," said Drew, snickering.

"Why you..." growled May. I sweat-dropped. Do they always argue like this? I almost find it impossible for two people to argue that much. To my surprise, May directed her next statement to me.

"Hey Dawn, Ash told me all about you, y'know," I was pretty sure that she meant she knew I've already lost twice in the first rounds. Damn, this is embarrassing.

"Yup, everything," echoed Ash. Curse him and that big mouth of his.

" She knows all about how you lost in the first stage twice in a row and that right now you're recharging a bit," backed-up Brock. Curse both of them and their big mouths...

"Hey, chin up!" said May. "Since I got to Johto, it's been one disaster after another for me."

All I could utter was, "Wow, you too?"

The brunette continued, "So I wanted to compete in this contest as a good way to get myself back on the contest track. Why don't we both make this our comeback stage?"

Before I could say anything, Drew cut in, "You've always been a disaster, May. Johto or Hoenn."

I could feel it coming. May blowing up. That was just too far. I'm sure May worked really hard to get where she is now. Why's she called the "Princess of Hoenn" if she isn't a really good coordinator? The next thing that happened totally took me by surprise. Drew swiftly whipped out a red rose and threw it to May. May, as if she knew it was coming, caught it at the right time.

"Easy to get irritated as usual, May. You should learn to pipe down," suggested Drew. I was still surprised at him giving May the rose.

"Well why don't you stop being such an annoying brat?" asked May. At that moment, Ash's stomach grumbled. For once his stomach's grumbling at an appropriate time.

May giggled and said, "Looks like some things never change."

"Guess I have been kinda hungry for a while now," said Ash.

"Well, since it's lunchtime, we're probably all hungry," I commented. Now that I mentioned it, I was getting really hungry too.

"I just happen to make reservation at the perfect place. Only the most popular restaurant in Valor Lake Front," said May. Just what I expected from Hoenn's princess! Hang on stomach, we'll be eating soon! We all walked to the famous restaurant May was talking about.

Once we got there, I gaped. The place was huge! "So this is it?" asked Ash, in wonder. Pikachu and Piplup surprised sounds as well.

"The Seven Stars Restaurant!" May exclaimed. This place is really famous! Why didn't I think of coming here as well? "This is **the **hottest place to eat in the whole Sinnoh region," continued May.

"Wow May, I'm impressed," I said, and I'm not lying either. I really am impressed.

"May's always had a nose for finding great places like this," commented Brock.

"Well, at least you're good at **something**, seeing that you're totally hopeless in contests," taunted Drew. I saw May trembling with anger, but she managed to keep her cool this time. Maybe the rose is getting to her.

When we got inside, there was a waiter waiting for us. "Welcome, ladies and gentlemen," he greeted.

May stepped forward and asked, "Reservations for May?"

"Yes, of course. We've been waiting for you Miss May. You have a reservation for five. Please, right this way," directed the waiter.

While we were walking towards a huge door, some guy suddenly burst out of them. Didn't he like the food? That's impossible. I've heard that the food at this restaurant is so heavenly, they can even please all the lengendary Pokemon!

"You're leaving?" asked the waiter.

The guy said something about training, and "eating here if it's the last thing he does". Since what does training have to do with eating or food?

"Then we'll be waiting to serve you at another time," said the waiter in his monotone. The guy ran away screaming, "I won't forget this!"

"What was that about?" I asked, clearly confused.

"That young man lost his battle, so of course, he wasn't accepted at our restaurant," explained the waiter.

"Battle?" asked Ash, confused as well.

"Come with me, and I'll explain," said the waiter.

Once we got to the room through the doors, all of us gasped, except for May and Drew. Clearly, they already know about this "battle" thing. The room's a battle field for crying out loud!

"You see, besides being a wealthy and successful businessman, the owner of the Seven Stars Restaurant is also an avid battle fan," explained the waiter. He continued, "As a result, only those who battle against him and his fiance and emerge victoriously are allowed to dine here." Again, almost all of us gasped. We have to battle against them and win to eat? Just to eat?

"That means if we lose..." Brock started. I don't want to leave without eating Brock! Don't even think about it!

"Then you'll be leaving with empty stomachs," finished the waiter.

"That's rough," I said.

"Nah, I think it's great!" Wow, she sounds pretty confident. I want to be on the same team as her if this is gonna be a double battle!

"If you say so," said Ash. His stomach grumbled again. "Ahh... I'm starving."

The doors behind the couple we're supposed to battle against opened, and another couple came out. The waiter explained that they were successful in their battle, so they got a free full course meal! Aah, I need to win this. The food smells sooooo great! Once those doors opened, the sweetest aroma just took my breath away.

"You must be our next customers," said the lady, the owner's fiance.

"Welcome to the Seven Stars Restaurant," greeted the owner. "My name is Roman and I'm a restaurant tourer who prides in the finest cuisine."

"And my name is Kylie," greeted Roman's fiance.

"So, shall we proceed two at a time with a tag battle, then?" suggested Roman. Yes, perfect! I'm with May on this one!

"May, can I be on your team?" I asked, immediately.

"Sure, and then we can eat!" said May, excitedly.

"Looks like it's you and me, big guy," said Brock, looking at Ash.

"It's been a while since we battled together, Brock, so let's do it!" exclaimed Ash.

"Hold on, guys!" shouted May. "What about Drew? He doesn't have a partner."

"I'll be fine by myself, thank you very much. Besides, I don't need a partner," answered Drew, flicking his hair. Suit yourself, Drew. Hopefully you won't lose!

"Hm, if you say so," mumbled May. It seems to me that she sounds a little, teensy, tiny bit disappointed. I it because she wanted Drew as a partner? Nah, they argue too much. It can't be.

"All right, everyone please select your Pokemon," said Roman.

"All right, Sudowoodo, let's go!" yelled Brock, throwing out his Pokeball.

"Pikachu, get in there!" commanded Ash. Pikachu gladly jumped on the battle field.

"Oh, nice Pokemon," commented Roman.

"Now, it's our turn," continued Kylie.

"Go, Snorlax!" said Roman.

"You come on out too, Munchlax!" commanded Kylie.

"Wow, Muchlax. Evolution pairs are really popular," I commented. I used my Pokedex to examine them again. After analyzing both of them, the referee started Ash and Brock's match.

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**All right! I'm done with my first chapter, yay! Please review after reading! Oh, and I want to ask all of you if you want Dawn to be paired up with someone. Paul isn't an option, since he's not interested in contests, though I know that Ikarishipping is really popular. Dawn can either be paired up with Ash or Kenny (if I can sneak him in the contest.) Please tell me in your reviews if you want Pearlshipping or Penguinshipping! I'll also set up a poll in my profile so that you guys can vote. Please review! Oh, and by the way, please tell me if I made any mistakes in my writing, ok?  
**


	2. Battling Hunger

**Thank you, everyone for reviewing, alerting, and favorit-ing! I'm glad you all enjoyed my story! Here are some review replies!  
****Twilight Smash****: Thank you for your praise! I'm glad my fic caught your eye. =)  
****Arysd****: I love those "what-if" stories too! That's why I made one with the "what-if" factor. =) Thank you for pointing out my mistake. I corrected it already! =)  
****Xoxomelodyrosexoxo****: Thank you for reviewing!  
****XxRoseLoverxX****: I know… that's their habit after all. =) Thanks for reviewing!  
****PKPrincess****: I'm glad you liked it! Enjoy this chapter!  
****M the gate****: Yep, it's here all right! Thanks for your review! (hugs)  
****Ronmione x3****: Thank you! I'm really glad you loved it!  
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****fanfic meister****: Thanks for stating your opinion. I'll see how the votes turn out. =)  
****Luv Ya Bunches -Not.- Arch****: Aw, thank you, I'm glad you liked it! Enjoy this chapter too! **

**Okay, everyone, as of now, here are the results for the penguin vs. pearl shipping! This includes the votes made on my poll too.  
****Penguinshipping****: 7 votes  
****Pearlshipping****: 10 votes  
This includes the numbers on the poll, so… Pearlshipping wins! The voting is closed! Have fun reading this chapter! This time, it's in May's P.O.V.! **

**

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Battling Hunger **

May's P.O.V 

I looked on, excitedly, as my old friends prepared to battle them. All four of them called out their attacks at the same time.

"Alright Snorlax, Mega Punch," said Roman.

"Pikachu, use Volt Tackle," commended Ash.

"Munchlax, Giga Impact, go!" shouted Kylie.

"Sudowoodo, Double Edge," said Brock.

Munchlax and Sudowoodo collided. Smoke engulfed both Pokemon. Suddenly, Sudowoodo emerged, successfully overpowering Munchlax. Snorlax tried to hit Pikachu, but the mouse Pokemon quickly dodged and hit Snorlax with Volt Tackle. With just one hit, Snorlax and Munchlax were knocked out! Ash and Brock has trained their Pokemon well. I'm glad to see Bonsly's finally evolved.

The referee declared Brock and Ash the winners. Roman and Kylie were shocked! Man, they must be really surprised! They might not have lost a lot of matches. Ah well, next up: Me and Dawn! "Hey Dawn, let's finish our battle with one hit too!" I encouraged. Dawn agreed. This was going to be epic!

"Dawn, May, don't be too confident," reminded Ash. Ash… always the advisor in battling. Well, when I was travelling with him anyway.

"Don't worry, we know," replied Dawn.

Roman allowed Brock and Ash to go into the restaurant, but they refused. They're still the same boys I know, sticking with their friends.

"Hey May, good luck," encouraged Drew.

I turned my head and muttered a small thanks. Drew may be arrogant at his own times, but at other times, he's pretty supportive. That's what I like about him. He still gives roses for Beautifly. Sometimes, I can't help but wonder if they're really for me. I snapped back to reality as Roman and Kylie released their Pokemon: Girafarig and Drifloom.

I took one glance at Drifloom and praised, "Wow, your Drifloom's just the cutest thing!"

"Well, I'm honored by your kind words," said Kylike.

"A psychic type and a ghost type. That's a pretty interesting pair they've got," commented Brock.

"You ready Piplup?" asked Dawn. Piplup eagerly jumped on the battlefield. I have to say, Dawn'Piplup is really cute. Sometimes, its hyper-ness reminds me of my little Torchic, which isn't so little anymore.

"As for me, I'm going with Blaziken!" I annou ced. I love my Blaziken, but at some times, I still miss its cutest, youngest form.

"Blaziken, it's so big," breathed Dawn. Hm, when your Piplup evolves, Dawn, you'll be as proud of it as I am of my Blaziken. Dawn's Pokedex blinked to life as she analyzed Blaziken.

**Blaziken, the Blaze Pokemon, and the evolved form of Com usken. Flames surround and come out of its wrists, making its punches extremely damaging and dangerous. **

"Man has it been a long time," said Ash.

"Pikachu!" shouted Pikachu.

"Blaziken's stronger too," continued Brock.

"Oh, a water and fire type duo," said Roman, obviously impressed.

The referee was about to start the match, when all of us heard and felt some rumbling. The restaurant doors opened and a waiter ran out. "Roman, somehow every single solitary piece of food has been stolen!"

"What?!" gasped everyone. Oh, that does it!

"I'll tell you, nobody steals MY food and gets away with it!" I declared, fuming. That food is mine and I won't let ANYONE steal it! I'm hungry and I need food really bad!

"I think May just turned into a fire type," Dawn mumbled. Who cares if I'm on fire? The food's stolen!

"One thing that'll drive May over the edge is someone stealing her food," explained Brock. You got that right, Brock. Tell 'em!

"What happened to our princess?" Dawn wheezed. Piplup uttered a "lup…" as it imitated Dawn.

"She never was a princess from the beginning anyway," commented Drew. For once, I don't care what he said. All I care about is my food!

We all ran into the restaurant to see the damage done. Tables and chairs were overturned and plates were trashed. The chef ran from the kitchen and apologized to Roman. Roman went into his dramatic state as he stated that the food as for the "victorious customers". That's supposed to be US!

"Well, you got that right, and I'm going to get our lunch back!" I declared as I threw Munchlax's Pokeball like a baseball.

"Munchlax!" Munchlax greeted as he got out.

"Pika, Pika!" Pikachu greeted.

"Munch!" Pikachu and Munchlax sure looked glad to see each other again.

"Will you call our your Munchlax Kylie?" I asked. She soon released her Munchlax as well.

"So May, what're you gonna do?" asked Ash.

"Just watch, Ash," I said, looking at him. "Now Munchlax, I know you remember that delicious smell, so I want you to go and follow it."

"That's a wonderful idea!" praised Kylie. With two Munchlaxes working together, we'll find the food in no time! Both Munchlaxes sniffed around and soon, my Munchlax found the trail! Great job, Munchlax! Kylie's Munchlax, however, kept going 'round, in circles. Well, so much for two tracker Munchlaxes. We followed my Munchlax. It led us out of the restaurant and somewhere into the woods. I got the surprise of my life when I saw what was in the woods. Team Rocket was gobbling down our food!

"You creeps never change. Haven't you learned anything at all?!" I shouted. I got another surprise later. They started reciting their **new** motto. Okay… maybe they **have** changed, in a way. Soon, I spotted a huge refrigerator nearby.

"That must be where all of our stolen gourmet food is!" I yelled. Swiftly, the three schemers blocked the way to the refrigerator.

"Even thieves worry about perishable produce," defended Jessie. Seviper and Carnivine got ready to fight as they protected their trainers.

"Why you crooked creeps!" I fumed.

"Forgot what it's like to be starving, huh?" said Ash.

"Come on Ash, let's get 'em," suggested Brock.

"I don't care who gets them as long as I get my food back! Glaceon, on stage!" I threw Glaceon's Pokeball like a baseball as well.

Drew joined in shortly, "Let's go, Masquerain!"

I have to beat these crooks. I've done it before and I'll do it again! Jessie commanded, "Seviper, Poison Tail!"

James followed, "Carnivine, Bullet Seed!"

No way am I letting them eat all the gourmet food! "Ice Beam, Glaceon!" I yelled. Glaceon blew out streaks of her Ice Beam, swiftly hitting Team Rocket and their Pokemon. The group was frozen immediately. Nice job, Glaceon! "All right, Glaceon, Iron Tail!" I shouted.

Glaceon's tail glowed and she swung it at the Team Rocket iceball, making them fly, literally.

"Masquerain, use Silver Wind!" Drew commanded. His Masquerain flew up beside the iceball and unleashed its powerful Silver Wind, making them fly even further. Well, now that's that. We can get the food now!

"May, Drew, nice job!" praised Ash.

"Thanks Ash," I replied.

"I gotta say, May, freezing them was not such a bad idea," said Drew. Did Drew just semi-praise me? Now this is one of the few times I get praised by "Mr. Rose" and not insulted.

"Hey, you two look like you've been a team for a really long time," said Ash.

"Well, we **have **been practicing together for the contest," I said.

"It's like you two were meant to be!" squealed Dawn. I felt heat rising to my cheeks. Sheesh, first Harley now Dawn!

"N-Now, come on, Dawn. I told you we're just ri…" I stammered. However, I was cut off by Dawn's teasing voice.

"As contest partners, I mean," finished Dawn. I processed the information. She said we were meant to be … as contest partners. I blushed even more when I wholly processed the information. I looked at Drew, and believe it or not, I saw a light tint of pink on his face too. He was blushing! This is very rare. I think the only time I've seen Drew blush was at the Crysanthemum Island Contest. I shook my head to clear the embarrassment I brought onto myself. We returned the food to the restaurant after the little scandal with Team Rocket.

"Thank you for getting our food back," said Roman. "Every one of us is truly in your debt."

"Well thanks, but May and Drew did all the work," said Ash.

"Don't forget the Pokemon," I replied.

"Everyone deserves the credit," cut in Dawn.

"Roman and I have talked it over, and we've made a decision. As our way of saying thanks, we'd like you to have your meal without having to battle," announced Kylie.

"Wow, great. All right!" Dawn and I cheered simultaneously. This is great! A free full course meal without having to worry about losing the battle and not eating!

"Thanks for hanging in there, stomach," mumbled Ash.

"Things always taste better when you wait, and we waited," said Brock.

"Then I'll begin the preparations immediately. The wait shouldn't be much longer, more or less," said the chef.

"What? More time?" groaned Ash.

"We're sorry, but all our cuisine must be prepared fresh," explained the chef. More waiting… just great. Ah man. Unless there's a way to kill time…

"I know exactly what to do," said Dawn. Is she thinking what I'm thinking?

"Let's have that tag battle now!" I finished. Me and Dawn are starting to share one mind, and we're not even that close yet.

"Now? You mean it?" asked Roman.

"Of course we do!" Dawn and I said at the same time.

Back at the battle field, Dawn and I chose Piplup and Blaziken while Roman and Kylie chose Girafirig and Drifloom. The referee started the battle, and we launched our attacks at the same time.

"Now Girafirig, use Bite," said Roman.

"Drifloom you use Constrict," continued Kylie.

"Quick, Blaziken, Blaze Kick!" I shouted.

"Piplup, Bubblebeam, let's go!" commanded Dawn.

Dawn's Piplup unleased a stunning display of its Bubblebeam attack while my Blaziken prepared its foot for its Blaze Kick. Kylie's Drifloom spun around in the air to repel the Bubblebeam. That move really shows off Drifloom. Piplup looked around, surprised, that it's Bubblebeam was repelled. Drifloom used the distraction to grab Piplup and trap it with its Constrict.

"Piplup, no!" Dawn said, worried.

Blaziken swung its foot to hit Girafirig with its Blaze Kick, but that psychic giraffe dodged and its tail bit Blaziken on the leg! "Blaziken!" I called out, concerned.

"Hurry, May, you've got to react, and fast!" said Brock.

That tail of Girafirig's kept on biting Blaziken's leg, until Blaziken was pushed back. It was finally free, though. I'm not about to give up! I could hear Ash and Brock talking, discussing about the match, but I didn't care one bit. I'm one hundred percent focused on the match! Drew remained silent though. I wonder what he's thinking… Ah, now's not the time to be thinking about Drew. Hey, since when have I started "thinking" about Drew? Ah, whatever. Focus on the match girl, the match!

"Escaping my darling Drifloom's Constrict's tricky," said Kylie.

"We'll see. Piplup, use Whirlpool," challenged Dawn. That little Piplup can use Whirlpool? I'm impressed. Dawn's raised Piplup well.

"Piplup!" Piplup cried as it created a huge Whirlpool many times larger than the little penguin Pokemon is. The huge Whirlpool consumed Drifloom. That was a pretty smart move. Not only that, but the Whirlpool also hit Girafirig. Hitting two birds with one stone. Pretty good, huh? Then, Piplup narrowed the Whrilpool, leaving Drifloom and Girafirig in the air.

"Girafirig!" shouted Roman.

"Drifloom, darling!" cried Kylie.

"Now Dawn, I want you to have Piplup use Bubblebeam one more time, okay?" I said. Dawn looked confused at first. I continued, "I've got the perfect combination that will finish this thing once and for all."

Dawn nodded and commanded, "Piplup, Bubblebeam, go!" Piplup performed its spinning Bubblebeam attack, which affected both Pokemon in the air. Now, to finish things off.

"Now, Blaziken, jump!" I shouted. Blaziken jumped high in the air, right about Drifloom and Girafirig. Piplup was still continuing its Bubblebeam. "Fire Spin, now!" I continued. Blaziken blew out a really powerful Fire Spin attack. Ahh, I'm so proud of my Blaziken!

"Check it out, the fusion of fire and water!" Ash stated, in awe.

It was true though. It's a really breathtaking sight, to me, at least. I looked back at Drew to see what his reaction was. He simply smirked and flicked his bangs. Typical Drew behavior. I turned my head back to Piplup and Blaziken. They were doing a great job!

"I've heard of that before. What incredible power!" exclaimed Dawn. It really was incredible. The fusion of fire and water… Yeah, it would make a great contest move! Finally, an explosion took place at the place where the two attacks met. Roman and Kylie called out to their Pokemon in concern.

Both Girafirig and Drifloom were passed out on the floor. The referee declare us the winners of the match! Yes! "We did it!" both of us said simultaneously. "Give me a high five!" said Dawn. The two of us high fived with enthusiasm. Ha ha, we won! What do you think of that, Drew? I looked at him again, and he smiled. Drew nodded and smiled! That is a form of praise! I don't know why I'm getting excited over Drew praising me. Maybe it's because of the match me and Dawn just won!

I turned back to Blaziken and Piplup and saw that Blaziken had Piplup on its elbow. I see they're already good friends.

"I'll tell you, seeing the fusion of fire and water again was amazing," said Ash.

"It was even more polished than before," continued Brock.

"That was a wonderful battle," praised Roman.

"An intense competition we've really experienced," finished Kylie.

The restaurant doors opened and the waiter stepped out. "Ladies and gentlemen, your lunch has just been completed. Please step this way," he directed.

"All right!" Dawn and I said simultaneously again. We finally get to eat!

At night, at the resort

All of us were gathered at the balcony. "That's Lake Valor," said Dawn.

"So pretty," I sighed. The lights around the contest hall just added to the beauty of the lake. Oh, I just remembered…

"Hey, Ash, you still have this?" I asked, taking out half of a ribbon. Man, that brings back memories. I saw Drew raise his eyebrows from the corner of my eye. Now what could he be thinking?

"Yep, I sure do!" said Ash, taking out his half of the ribbon. We put the two halves side by side. The Terracotta Ribbon. My Blaziken versus his Sceptile. That was one intense battle!

"Hold on, then you both must've competed," said Dawn. It might, just, **just** might be my imagination, but I thought Dawn sounded a teensy, tiny bit jealous at me and Ash sharing two halves of a ribbon. Back in Pacidfidlog, Erika said that she wanted to win the contest with Joshua, as a couple. She mentioned that they would share two halves of the ribbon… No, no, no. I do **not** think of Ash that way. I hope Dawn's not misinterpreting it.

I replied, "It was way back in Terracotta Town. Ever since I've went off by myself, it's been my good luck charm. It reminds me how much I've learned from Ash on our journey."

"I see," said Dawn.

"Then you must be really close to him, huh?" mumbled Drew.

"Pardon, Drew?" I asked.

"Nothing," he breathed. Hm, I don't know what's up with Drew sometimes. He can't be…**jealous**, can he? Nah, it's impossible. Drew's not that type of guy.

"When we first met May, she was starting at square one," said Brock, quickly changing the subject back.

Dawn took out an old ribbon as well. She said, "I keep the ribbon my mother gave me as a good luck charm as well. You know, ribbons seem to be loaded with experiences and memories. It always gives me strength." Wow, so her mom's a coordinator. I would like to meet her someday.

"Wow, it's the same for me. This amazing ribbon has helped me all the way through the Johto region. Dawn, just think. I'll be seeing you and your Pokemon performing before I know it," I said.

"So that ribbon gave you strength? You still need to work on your new style, May," commented Drew.

"Yeah, I admit, I still need a lot more polishing up. I really need to catch up to Solidad. She's really hard to beat! Drew, don't forget I beat you once in Johto too!" I teased.

"Yeah? That was once. I beat you most of the time," Drew retorted.

"Oh, come on, Drew. I beat you at the Kanto Grand Festival too," I replied.

"Yeah, whatever. You still need more work to catch up to me completely," said Drew, flicking his bangs. I loved messing with Drew at times like this. It's true that I have beaten him once in a Johto contest. I treasured that moment. I really left Drew dumbfounded at that contest! Man, I feel good just thinking about it.

"Oh, Dawn, have you thought of your partner yet?" I asked.

"Hm, yeah. I still have to ask… Ash, will you be my partner for the Wallace Cup?" Dawn immediately asked.

Ash was taken by surprise. "Dawn, are you sure you want me for a partner? I'm not that experienced in contests, you know."

"Come on, Ash. If you and May had to share that ribbon, it only means that you two tied, right? So at least you have some experience with contests," said Dawn.

"Brock once entered a contest too," replied Ash.

"Oh, well, whatever, Ash. I've already chosen you, so you'd better accept!" said Dawn.

"But why me?" asked Ash.

Dawn lightly, very lightly, blushed and answered, "Well, b-because you're a great trainer! I've already learned a lot from you, and you're a great partner. So are you in or not?"

"Alright, alright, I'm in," Ash finally gave in.

"Thank you," said Dawn, sighing. It might not be true, but I'm starting to think Dawn has a tiny little crush on Ash. Now I have some kind of comeback, Dawn. Watch out! I wonder if Dawn and Ash had battled together before. I'm pretty sure they have, or Dawn wouldn't have told Ash he was a great partner. Well, me and Drew are winning this contest! I'm sorry Dawn, but I'll be going back to Johto with one of the Twin Aqua Ribbons!

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**Whew! I've finally finished this chapter!!! I'm sorry it took such a long time. If I have mistakes, just leave a notice in a review! I've been so busy with schoolwork and homework and outside work and community service that I don't have enough time for this story! It will take a while for other chapters to come, so I hope you all will be patient! I'm writing this fic in the three coordinators' point of views: Dawn, May, and Drew. So, in the next chapter, I'll be writing it in Drew's POV. Stay tuned for the next chapter! Review, review, review! Oh, and I'll be choosing Pearlshipping, since it won by just one vote. **

**Plus, can you guys please give me suggestions on what Drew should wear for the contest? I'm not the best person at fashion, and I don't know what kind of outfit would look good on Drew. -_-" Please help me out guys!  
**


	3. Appealing Much?

**Thanks a lot for reviewing! I'm just going to go with my gut instinct for Drew's outfit for the Wallace Cup, so please bear with me if it's not that creative or … fancy. I have no sense of fashion at all. -_-" Well, I rarely re-read what I have read, so I'm sure to have mistakes. Thank you Arysd, for pointing out my mistakes in the last two chapters. I hope you'll enjoy this chapter as well! **

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****Appealing Much? **

Drew's P.O.V

I wonder if I'll look hideous in these. I hope May's right about this outfit suiting me. I really don't want to look like a fool out on stage. Then again, there are a lot more people with atrocious costumes. There's only one more day before the contest. May and I will blow the audience away with our performance. Speaking of May, where did she run off to? Where's the outfit she's going to wear? I hope she's got everything planned. I really don't want her to mess things up.

How can this costume suit me anyway? May says white goes with anything, but do I even look okay in this suit? I'm worrying too much about this. It's my **Pokemon** that are going to be shown off, not the costume. Snap out of it Drew! Still, a white tux and a black tie, May? Is that all you could find for me? Holy Phione, I have to stop thinking of the costume… I'd better change back.

I bet May's with her new friend. Has May signed us up for the contest? Wait, I think I have to be there. Oh, Arceus…

I quickly grabbed the bag with my contest clothes in it and rushed out. I must have been running as fast as an Arcanine using Extremespeed, since I got to the registration hall in no time. I spotted May, Ash, and the new girl, Dawn there. I huffed and panted as I jogged towards them.

"There you are, Drew. What took you so long?" asked May, impatiently.

"For your information, May, I was trying on the outfit you suggested," I answered. I'd like to see **her** outfit. I continued, "I haven't even seen your outfit yet, May. Have you even decided what you're going to wear?"

"Of course I have! I've already tried it on and it looks really great! Dawn agrees with me. Right Dawn?" asked May, looking at her new friend.

"Yeah! You're going to look great at the contest," replied Dawn.

"Remember that it's your Pokemon that are being shown off, not you," reminded Ash. Since when did he start caring about contests?

"Yeah, you're right, Ash. I should focus more on that. I lost twice in a row because of that little… ahhh, it's too embarrassing," Dawn complained, burying her face in her hands.

"Now, come on, Dawn. What you need is a win to get yourself back on the contest track. Have more confidence in yourself," comforted May. May's always been like this. She has this soft, heart-warming part of her that almost no one can resist. She's too kind to people, that she can be manipulated and used easily. I worry about her sometimes. She can't seem to be firm.

"May, Drew, it's your turn to register," interrupted Ash, facing us.

"Okay. Come here, Drew," said May. Once the two of us were registered, we went outside to enjoy the festival. The brunette, Brock, was already jumping from stall to stall, flirting with the female vendors. At one point, though, his Croagunk used Poison Jab to shut his mouth. Ouch.

"Hey, Dawn, you hungry?" asked May. That Dawn girl didn't seem to hear May's question. She keeps looking down and her eyes seem to be really dull.

"Dawn? Hey, you okay?" asked May, sympathetically. This time the girl looked up.

"Hm? Oh, I'm alright May. No need to worry," replied Dawn, smiling.

"Tell you what. Let's go grab something to eat. I saw a stall selling huge cookies. I'm sure they're delicious!" said May. That girl's always thinking about food. She eats like a Snorlax and she never gets fat. What a wonder…

"Okay. What do you say, Piplup?" asked Dawn, looking down at her Piplup.

"Piplup, pip!" Piplup replied, obviously enthusiastic. May's Munchlax also responded to Dawn's question, even though it was meant for Piplup.

"You want some too, Munchlax?" asked May, crouching down beside her Munchlax.

"Munch!" Munchlax replied. Like trainer, like Pokemon.

"Then what are we waiting for? Let's go!" encouraged Dawn. May led the way to the stall while the rest of us followed.

Once we got the cookies, May and Munchlax dug right in. Dawn seemed to be pretty sulky today. She takes small bites of the cookie and barely looks up at us. What is with that girl?

"May, do you have any idea what's wrong with Dawn?" I whispered. May kept munching on her cookie and shook her head lightly.

She swallowed the treat and asked, "Hey Dawn, not hungry?"

The blunette looked up and answered, "My appetite is a little off." Munchlax and Piplup exchanged looks and shrugged.

"Hey Dawn!" I heard someone shout. Dawn looked to her right and spotted a red head coming towards us.

"Hi Zoey!" Dawn greeted. Once the red head was standing right beside Dawn, she noticed me and May. Dawn continued, "Oh yeah. Zoey, this is May and Drew. They're entering the contest as one pair."

May said, "I've heard a lot about you. Hi there." She shook that girl, Zoey's, hand. I shook her hand too. I've seen that Zoey girl before, on TV. Yep, now I remember. She was the winner of the Jubilife Contest. No wonder she looked a little familiar.

"So Dawn, who're you entering with?" asked Zoey.

"Ash. We've already registered. What about you, Zoey?" asked Dawn.

Zoey teased, "What do you think, Dee Dee?" Dawn's eyes widened immediately.

The blunette stuttered, "W-What? Y-You don't really… H-How?"

"Hey, Dee Dee!" greeted a certain boy, as he came up behind Zoey.

"KENNY?!" screamed Dawn, standing up. Every head in sight turned to look at Dawn. The blunette blushed and quietly sat back down. She continued, "Zoey, you chose Kenny as your partner?!"

"Yeah. We faced off in a contest, and I thought he was pretty good. Both of us knew about the partner rule in the Wallace Cup, and we didn't have partners yet. So, we settled for each other. Plus, he told me all about you, and when I mean **all**, I mean **everything**," teased Zoey.

"Zoey!" yelled Dawn.

"Ha ha, sorry. Kenny was right. It's fun doing that to you," said Zoey.

"Whatever. Oh, wait. May, Drew, this is Kenny, my childhood friend," introduced Dawn.

"Nice to meet you, Kenny," greeted May.

"Hey there," I greeted.

"Great to meet you too. Say, aren't you the girl who was in the top 4 in the Kanto Grand Festival and one of the top 8 in the Hoenn Grand Festival?" asked Kenny.

May blushed lightly and answered, "Ah, yes."

Kenny turned to Drew and said, "And you're the one who keeps beating May in contests, except for the Kanto Grand Festival, of course."

Okay… Well, I did beat May at almost every contest, but he didn't have to rub the Kanto Grand Festival loss in. I just answered, "Uh, yeah. Well, I **am** a better coordinator than May anyway."

"Hey! You'd better stop making fun of me, Drew. We need to work well together in this contest!" chided May.

"I'm just being honest, here," I defended.

"Woah, two participants of the Kanto and Hoenn Grand Festivals are going to team up in the Wallace Cup? This is going to be epic!" said Kenny.

"The one who's going to get one of the Twin Aqua Ribbons is me!" gushed Dawn.

"Oh? And who're you teaming up with, Dee Dee?" asked Kenny.

"Stop it with 'Dee Dee'! I'm going to be with Ash," replied Dawn.

"Oh, Ash, huh? Well, just because he's a good trainer doesn't mean you two are going to win. Me and Zoey don't have any intentions of losing to anyone," said Kenny.

"Hey, don't leave **us** out of this little brawl," teased May.

"The winners will be decided, a few days from now, anyway, but I'm determined to win this!" exclaimed Zoey. Oh please, I'll be one of the winners of the Twin Aqua Ribbon. May can be ditzy at her times, but from what I've experienced, she's a really good coordinator, trainer, and partner. I can't wait for tomorrow.

The Next Day 

"Welcome to the Wallace Cup, hosted by the contest master himself, Wallace! And this year, our special event is taking place at the picturesque, Valor Lake Front!" announced Marian.

I'm ready for this. I've been through a lot of tough contests, and this isn't going to be any different. I just hope I can work with May as well as we practiced back in Johto. Speaking of May, where is she anyway? Still making herself look pretty, I'm guessing. Did I just say pretty? Drew, snap out of it! She's your **rival**, and nothing else!

I could hear distinct voices coming from the girls' locker room, though. It seems like May's giving Dawn some encouragement, and helping her… brush her hair? Typical May, helping out fellow coordinators. That's one of the qualities I like about her. Ugh, again, Drew, snap out of it!

"Okay, Dawn, have fun with your Pokemon, and don't get stage fright!" advised May as she came out of the locker room. I have to say she… looks… stunning.

Okay, I can't lie to myself now. She looks beautiful in her contest attire. She really looked beautiful. Her clothes complimented her hair, her eyes, and her body. I don't think I've seen a girl her age with a nice body. Okay, so I'm going too far with my thoughts. Think rival, not girl! She's not some girl who has a crush on you or goes ga-ga over you. Stay in character, Drew!

"Hey Drew, are you okay?" asked May, her face getting really close to mine. I felt the heat rush to my cheeks and I drew back.

"Y-Yeah. I'm fine. You look…" I was at a loss for words. I couldn't find the right word to describe her. "Beautiful" would make her suspicious. "Stupid" would just make her mad, and plus, that's not even the truth.

"Good," I finished. I wanted to hit myself. "Good" was all my brain could come up with?

"Um, thanks, Drew. I found this dress in Johto, and thought it would be a nice set of clothes to wear at this event," explained May. She twirled around once to show off that dress. May continued, "You look great yourself, Drew. It was right to choose that white tux."

"Well, I thought you could've been more creative than this," I said. Great. Here I was, trying to pick a fight again, after she looked for contest clothes for me.

"Sorry that I can't be as good as you want me to be, Mr. Rose," retorted May. She playfully stuck out her tongue at me and walked away. I was watching her walk away, when I was snapped out of my thoughts by Dawn and Zoey.

"Hey, Drew, were you just gawking at May?" asked Dawn, teasingly.

"N-No, of course not. I was just thinking of what Pokemon I could use in the second round," I replied. Wow, do I make up the lamest excuses.

"Oh really?" asked Zoey, suspiciously.

"Okay, I'm just going to go now. You two better come to the coordinators' lounge too. If I remember correctly, me and May are going first," I said. I dashed off towards May. I'm sure our turn's going to come soon.

"And now, for the introduction you've all been waiting for! Sometimes he's a gym leader, other times he's a champion master, and still, other times he's a top coordinator. And you all know his name!" announced Marian.

I watched with anticipation. Wallace was going to appear soon, and me and May are going on stage. This is going to be really interesting. I know that Zoey girl is a tough coordinator, and Dawn was the winner of the Floraroma Contest. I've battled Ash before, but I'm sure he's gotten a whole lot better. Finally, Wallace appeared. His Milotic is well trained. That Aqua Ring attack really shows it off. Wallace can really stage an opening.

"He's a true genius, the contest master, Wallace!" continued Marian.

Wallace stood up and shouted, "Hello, Sinnoh, and a big good morning! I'm happy to welcome you to the Wallace Cup, at beautiful Lake Valor!" The crowd erupted in a sea of cheers. Almost time to go up. After Marian introduces the judges, me and May are up. That Twin Aqua Ribbon's as good as ours. Okay, we're going in five…four… three… two… one!

"Drew, we're up first! Let's go!" said May, way ahead of me.

It feels great to be back on stage. I'm sure Harley and Solidad are watching us. May looks ready. She nodded at me and we both took out our Pokeballs.

"Beautifly, on stage!" yelled May.

"Alright Masquerain, you're up!" I shouted.

Both Beautifly and Masquerain flew out of their Pokeballs gracefully, with pink petals surrounding them. We're off to a great start. Now we just need to go with the flow.

May started, "Beautifly, use Silver Wind!" Beautifly worked up a beautiful Silver Wind Toranado, which surrounded it completely. Beautifly's silhouette was visible, and it's glowing, slivery color really stood out in that tornado.

I continued, "Masquerain, you use Psychic." Masquerain's eyes glowed blue and it got the water in the arena to combine with Beautifly's tornado.

"Beautifly/Masquerain, use Silver Wind!" May and I said simultaneously. Masquerain hit that water funnel with its Silver Wind from the outside while May's Beautifly hit it with Silver Wind from the inside. The column was destroyed, and small drops of water showered the arena. Before all the water ran out, me and May shouted out another command to Masquerain and Beautifly.

"Masquerain/Beautifly, Psychic!" Beautifly and Masquerain's eyes glowed blue, and they collected the water droplets. They combined all of them to make a huge blob of water. Then, they carefully altered the shape of the water drop to look like a water lily.

"Wow, would you look at that! Notice how well Beautifly and Masquerain work together. What a sight to see!" announced Marian. We're doing great! The crowd's going wild! Now, to finish this.

"Okay, Masquerain/Beautifly, use Arial Ace!" May and I commanded. While keeping the Psychic attack going, Masquerain and Beautifly flew up while circling each other. That left two trails of white, making a double helix-like structure. Then, they destroyed the water lily imitation.

"May, you ready?" I whispered.

"Yeah. Take it away, Drew," she answered. Now for the finale. I took a hold of May's bare waist and one of her hands. We spun together once, like we were dancing. Finally, I let go of her hand, held her waist with both of my hands, and lifted her up. Masquerain and Beautifly landed gracefully on May's outstretched arms. I hope that finish was good enough for the judges. May's really light for someone who eats noodles like there was no tomorrow. The fact that she can maintain a small waist while eating like a pig is amazing.

"Excellent work! Both of them, coordinators and Pokemon, worked really well together and kept in sync the entire time," praised Mr. Contesta.

"Yes, remarkable!" said Mr. Sukizo.

"Those attacks were flawless! It was obvious how well trained May and Drew's Pokemon are," stated Nurse Joy.

Wallace stood up and said, "The technique of using water as a way to show off their Pokemon is a feast for the eye."

Marian said, "Wow, coming from a champion like Wallace, that's really high praise!" Even Wallace loved our performance. I guess it was worth it coming to Sinnoh. If we win this, we'll gain one more ribbon, and we'll be one step close to the Johto Grand Festival.

"Um, Drew?" whispered May.

"What?" I answered.

"You might want to put me down now," she suggested. I snapped back to reality. I didn't remember that I still held May. I could feel the heat rushing to my cheeks. This is a little embarrassing. I gently put May back down. She smiled at me and said, "I think we did a great job! Our Pokemon worked really well together." When the trainers get along well and work well together, their Pokemon will work together really well too. I can't deny the fact that May's a good coordinator, but she could still use some practice.

More appeals were performed. I'm satisfied with our performance, but I thought we could've done a better job. Still, I guess it was good enough. When May and I got back to the coordinators' lounge, the others praised us for the performance, especially Dawn. She must be a huge fan of May. I think she feels a bit scared. She knows May's a good coordinator, and that must be affecting her confidence. Well, only time will tell whether she and Ash are good enough to make it through to the second round.

Hey, this next entry looks familiar. I feel like I've seen those two before. Magenta colored hair and purple-ish hair… Team Rocket? Nah, they're not stupid enough to think they can actually enter a contest. At least, I think they're not stupid enough. Let me watch their performance. Maybe then I can tell whether it's Team Rocket or whether I'm just mistaken.

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**Okay, I'm done with this chapter! Sorry for not updating sooner, again! I update really slow! I hope you all enjoyed this chapter, though! Please review! I love your comments, and if you guys have any suggestions for me, feel free to write them in reviews! If you find any mistakes in my writing, please inform me in a review! **

**~ SheriMeister **


	4. And the Contest Continues

**I'm back! I'm done with my finals, and I hope I can update more often now that the holidays are here. =) I'm very lazy sometimes, so I may not update too much. -.-" Anyway, here's the next chapter for you guys. Enjoy reading! Oh, by the way, a huge thank you to the people who reviewed! **

**I'd like to give special thanks to Arysd, for pointing out my mistakes in the previous chapters. Have some cookies, Arysd!**

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****And the Contest Continues**

Dawn's POV

May and Drew were amazing! They really are skilled coordinators. That girl, Jesselina's up with some guy. I wonder if she's going to go with her flying acts again. Alright, Ash and I have to get this right! I hope we didn't make a mistake choosing our Pokemon for the appeals round. May and Drew were chatting with Brock and Ash now.

"Hey May, Drew, you two were really great out there! Both your Pokemon are bug types, so their attacks really go together," I praised.

"Thanks Dawn. Hey, good luck to you and Ash. I can't wait to see what you two have in store for us," said May. I really look up to May; really, I do, but when it comes to contests, I can't help but get a little competitive. I'm sure May feels the same way too. No matter who wins though, we'll stay friends.

"May, here." Drew tossed May a red rose. How many of those has he given May anyway? The young boy continued, "It's for Beautifly, by the way. She put up a really great performance. Maybe her trainer can put more effort into her contests too."

"Drew you always do that! I'm doing the best I can. I'm not Solidad!" May snapped. I may not be an expert on love, but I'm pretty certain that Drew likes May, and vice versa. The roses somehow prove it. Hold on, Solidad? Wasn't she the one who won the Kanto Grand Festival and beat… May in the semi-finals? Wow, May and Drew knows really skilled coordinators. Oh great, now I'm in a May vs. Drew verbal battlefield, and that Jesselina girl's doing that flying act again.

On screen

"Alright Wobuffet, if you please," said Jesselina. Her Wobuffet suddenly glowed orange, and they both started charging at each other. Wobuffet sent Jesselina flying into the air.

"Carnivine, use Vine Whip," ordered her partner, who strangely resembled James, from Team Rocket. The Carnivine shot four vines into the air, wrapped Jesselina with them, and spun her.

"Would you look at that? Jesselina's using herself as an object for the Pokemon to show off their moves!" announced Marian.

The girl came crashing down, but luckily for her, her partner caught her in the nick of time. Jesselina waved to the audience, and the judges, and also blew kisses at everyone. Her partner looked very uncomfortable, but he's smiling, nonetheless. The judges didn't look so excited about the appeal though. This cannot be good for them.

"Um, that was a very unique appeal," choked out Nurse Joy.

"Yes, remarkably unique," continued Mr. Sukizo.

"Um, no comment," said Mr. Contesta.

"Well, using a person as an object is definitely exceptional, but I would ease up on the flying parts," commented Wallace.

"Well, there you have it ladies and gentlemen. Now let's give it up for our next entry!" announced Marian.

Back in the coordinators' lounge

"Don't you think that act's a little overdone for Jesselina?" asked Brock.

"You mean this girl has been in other contests too?" Drew asked.

"She's actually won one. One in which I didn't even get past the first round," I said. I could feel the nervousness creeping up my spine now. Four more entries, then Ash and I are up.

"You're a rookie coordinator, right?" interrogated Drew.

"Um yeah. Even though I'm still a rookie, I've always wanted to be a top coordinator, like my Mom. I hope to win a Grand Festival someday," I confessed. I feel like Drew is someone who can give really good advice. I know he's been a coordinator longer than May.

"Don't be de-motivated just because you couldn't get through the first round in your previous contests. Look toward the future, and don't keep dwelling on the past. If you become pessimistic, that will affect your Pokemon, and it'll de-motivate them too. Just think positive and you'll be fine," suggested Drew.

"Thanks for your suggestion, Drew. May's really lucky to have someone like you." I gave Drew a friendly, and I mean **friendly** hug after saying that. I just snuck in that hug just to see how May would react. I tried not to laugh out loud when I saw May. She was trying to smile, but it was a little obvious that she was irritated. She had a tint of pink on her face, probably from my last comment about her being lucky to have Drew. I'm pretty sure May likes Drew, more than a friend. May looks like she doesn't even know Drew likes her, or that she likes him. I don't hate May or anything, but how can anyone be so dense?

"Um, no problem Dawn," Drew replied, and then gave me a pat on the back. I know I'm observing May and Drew's relationship, but I can't help but sneak a glance at Ash. I was a little surprised.

Ash had almost the same expression on his face that May had, except, there wasn't hints of him blushing. Like I said, I'm no expert in love, but is Ash jealous? Jealous that I hugged Drew? I cannot be happier than I am n… hold on. Great, does my thought now suggest that I have a crush on Ash? Ash: the person who always stayed by my side, the person who taught me a thing or two on Pokemon, the person who **I** always cheered for… Dawn, stop, stop now. I mentally slapped myself for thinking those things. I have to concentrate on the contest now.

It seemed like only a few seconds had passed, when it was my turn to go on stage. I was shaking with anxiety. I can't mess this up for Ash either. Okay, deep breaths, deep breaths.

"It'll be fine Dawn. Don't worry so much," reassured Ash. He put a hand on my shoulder, and I felt calm again. He smiled and raised his hand for a high-five. I gave him a high-five, grabbed his hand, and dragged him to the stage. I don't know about other people, but whenever Ash smiles, it seems like the whole room lights up. He may be goofy, and dense, but his smile can cheer anyone up, anytime. Oh Arceus, I must have read too many romance novels.

"Hey, Dawn, what's up? Slow down, will you?" Ash was saying.

"Pika pika!" Pikachu, who was on his shoulder, commented.

"Hey, Pikachu, let's nail this appeal, okay?" said Ash, petting Pikachu with his free hand.

"Pika pi, pikachu!" squealed Pikachu. That little mouse is cute. I think he'll do well on the appeal. Well, I'm not messing this up. Ash may not be a coordinator, but he's still a good trainer. I may be a rookie, but I still want to try my best. It's time. We're on stage. Let's do this!

"Pachirisu, spotlight!" I shouted, throwing Pachirisu's Pokeball.

"Pikachu, let's go!" said Ash. Pikachu jumped off Ash's shoulder and joined Pachirisu, who was using its tail to stand.

"Two electric Pokemon for an appeal on a water field! How will they pull this off?" said Marian.

Alright. I can pull this off. "Pachirisu, use Sweet Kiss!" I commanded. Pachirisu put its paws on its mouth, and blew out pink hearts that floated all around the stage.

"Pikachu, use Quick Attack with Thunderbolt!" shouted Ash. Pikachu sped around the stage, and even jumped in the air a lot of times. The thunderbolt attack adds to the appearance, but the trick was to make rings of electricity. Pikachu made lots of small electricity rings, and those rings circumscribed Pachirisu's hearts.

"Wow, those rings of electricity sure are dazzling! That Pikachu's really quick too!" praised Marian.

"Now, Pachirisu, Discharge!" I shouted. Pachirisu sent lots of blue static into the air, some electric bolts attaching to the electric rings. Pachirisu looked like it was struggling, and it almost cut off its attack.

"Come on, Pachirisu, you can do this!" I gave Pachirisu some motivation, and it was trying really hard now. I love my Pokemon for never giving up. Pachirisu tried to combine all the hearts, and after a lot of struggling, it finally succeeded. There was now a huge pink heart with a ring around it.

"Pikachu, finish it with Iron Tail!" commanded Ash. Pikachu jumped really high into the air, and destroyed the heart with its glowing tail. The electric ring was also destroyed, which sent sparks of electricity around the stadium.

"It's got to be hard thinking of an appeal that will excite the audience and work on a stage with little land area. Well done, Ash and Dawn!" praised Nurse Joy.

"Such a remarkable appeal should receive a remarkable score," commented Mr. Sukizo.

"Even though they didn't use the water at all to help them, they still pulled the appeal of nicely," said Mr. Contesta.

"I would like to say that you two, Ash and Dawn, have certainly put up a great appeal. It was very creative to use two electric Pokemon to create an appeal like this," said Wallace.

"Alright, now you all have heard from the judges for this pair. Let's bring out our next entry!" announced Marian.

I can breathe a lot easier now that my appeal's finished. On the walk back, I put up my hand for a high-five from Ash. He slapped my hand and laughed. I laughed along with him. It's so easy for him to pull me towards him. Ash is always happy-go-lucky. How can **he **be really dense as well? Okay, dense about what? Me? Dawn, you are one strange girl.

Something really weird happened after that. Ash and I were walking casually, until both of us turned our heads simultaneously. His eyes met mine, and I swear, I was blushing furiously. I can see a tint of pink on Ash's cheeks too, but it was probably because he was surprised that our eyes met. The heat on my face is too much! I can't believe I'm blushing beet red right in front of Ash!

We walked back to the lounge without a word, except for Pikachu's "pika pika". May rushed up to Ash and I when we got back to the lounge. "Dawn, Ash, you two were amazing! That's such an interesting appeal," May gushed. She turned to Ash and said, "That attack you used with Pikachu was very similar to the one you used at the Terracotta Contest."

Ash grinned and replied, "It **is **the appeal I used at that contest. It worked really well, so I figured, why not use it here?"

May smiled back at Ash and said, "I'm sure you two will make it to the second round." The chemistry May and Ash has is just… I don't know. I feel like I want to be in May's place, somehow. She's a great coordinator, and is really, really close to Ash. Huh, there I go again. Woah, there's Zoey and Kenny now! This is going to be interesting!

"Finneon, ready? Go!" shouted the "on-screen" Zoey. Her Finneon glided for a moment, and then dove into the water, the fireball effects following it. Her Finneon's really cute! Ash switched on his Pokedex to analyze the Finneon.

**Finneon, the Wingfish Pokémon. Because of its twin-tail fins that flutter like wings when ****swimming****, Finneon has been called the '****Beautifly**** of the Sea'. **

"Beautifly of the Sea? No wonder. It's so graceful underwater, and it's two tails really are like Beautifly's wings," commented May. Zoey is going to be hard to beat. I've already beat Kenny, but if he's teamed up with Zoey, who knows what'll happen.

Kenny also called out his Pokemon, "Okay, Breloom, I choose you!" His Breloom gracefully glided in the air, and landed on the platform.

"Wow, seeing a Breloom brings back memories," muttered May. Ash's face lit up in realization when she said that. Of course, they were once companions.

Marian wondered, "A water type and a grass type. What's up their sleeves?"

"Finneon, use Silver Wind!" ordered Zoey. Finneon leaped out of the water, and, using its twin tails, stirred up a Silver Wind attack. Zoey keeps getting better and better.

Kenny called out, "Breloom, use Stun Spore!" Breloom shook up some spores and Finneon made sure its Silver Wind carried the spores. Their attack combination was really beautiful! The Stun Spore just added to the beauty of Silver Wind. The fact that the Stun Spore didn't hit Finneon will get them more points too. That shows how well they work together.

"Finneon, use Waterfall!" commanded Zoey. Finneon, now underwater, created a column of water, and it spiraled along the column. When Finneon had almost reached to the top, Kenny cut in, "Breloom, use Sky Uppercut!"

Kenny's Breloom dove into the column of water and ascended, its paw glowing. This combination shows off both Finneon **and **Breloom. They're so good! Finneon reached the top of the water column, and Breloom destroyed it, sending droplets of water around the stage.

"Wow, I can't take my eyes off the appeal for one second," gushed Nurse Joy.

"Truly remarkable!" praised Mr. Sukizo.

"I have to say those two have great teamwork. I'm really glad that a lot of talented coordinators are participating in this contest," said Mr. Contesta.

"Zoey and Kenny have both showed us how amazing their Pokemon are. They deserve another round of applause!" announced Wallace.

The crowd went wild. There were a lot of cheering and applause. Now I'm intimidated by Zoey and Kenny. I'll have to take my seriousness up a notch if I want to think about winning.

I tightened my grip on Piplup. I didn't know I was choking him until he cried out. I loosened my hold on him and apologized. May and I faced each other, and it was obvious that we were thinking the same thing. We can't let ourselves be intimidated by Zoey and Kenny. We have to think positive, just like Drew said.

"I have to admit, those two have style. They may be hard to beat," admitted Drew. I faced him. Drew: the boy who had more experience in contests than any of us, was saying Zoey and Kenny may be hard to beat.

"They may be hard to beat, but I'm not backing down; not without a fight," declared Ash.

"Why are you so insistent on winning this contest, Ash? I thought you were more into gym battles," questioned Drew. That made Ash freeze. I'm curious myself. Why is Ash so fixed on winning this?

"W-Well," Ash stuttered. He was stuttering. I can't believe it! He continued, "It's because Dawn asked me to partner up with her. And, I can't let a friend down, right?"

A friend…

A friend…

**A friend…**

Here I go again, getting that slight pain in my chest. May looked at me in a strange way. I must look like I'm in pain. I tried to regain my composure and smiled. "It's going to be alright! No need to worry, Ash. I won't hate you if I don't get the ribbon," I reassured Ash. He seemed to lighten up a bit, and smiled his goofy smile again. Marian's voice snapped me back to reality; thank Arceaus.

"Sorry to have kept you waiting, but the judges have come to a decision," announced Marian. I'm getting nervous again. I tightened my grip on Piplup **again, **and chocked him **again.** "I'm so sorry, Piplup. I'm just really nervous," I whispered.

"Pip piplup," Piplup replied. I may not know what he's saying, but I do know he's trying to give me hope.

"Thanks Piplup," I whispered.

"And so, after a lengthy discussion, the coordinators moving on to the exciting second stage will be," Marian cut herself off to let the computer show the entries. Then, she continued, "The sixteen lucky pairs you see here!"

My eyes frantically scanned the monitor for my picture, and Ash's too of course. As I scanned, I saw May and Drew's picture, and Zoey and Kenny's too. Of course those two pairs would make it to the next round. They were fantastic! I could start breathing again, when I saw mine and Ash's picture. Thank you, thank you, thank you! Yes! At least we made it to the next round. I can't help but think about Jesselina. She won a contest, yeah, but she didn't even make it to the second round this time. Well, you learn from your mistakes, so I think she's learned that she did something wrong in her appeal.

I turned to May and squealed, "May, we all made it to the second round! We made it!" May took my hands in hers and we both twirled around the room.

Drew sighed and said, "Girls will be girls." I noticed his lips twitch in a smile for a while though. He doesn't show his feelings very much, does he? May and I stopped twirling and the brunette glared at Drew.

"Well you could act happy for once, Drew," she retorted. Their bickering reminds me of a married couple. How sweet!

"Well this should be interesting. Starting tomorrow, you're all rivals," said Brock. You got that right, Brock. Alright, Dawn, you've made it to the second round! I have to try my best now. Twin Aqua Ribbons, here I come!

* * *

**Yes! I'm done with another chapter! I wrote this all in one night, yays! I hope you all enjoyed the appeals I came up with, even though I took a couple of moves from the anime. Please review. It would motivate me to write more. I was feeling kind of guilty that I haven't updated in a long time, since there were so many reviews for the last chapter. I hope this chapter makes up for it though. Review, please, and see you next chapter!**

**~ SheriMeister **


	5. Advance Forward!

**I appreciate the reviews my readers gave me. Lots of thanks to Arysd, again, for pointing out my mistakes. =) Here's the next chapter. Enjoy reading!**

**

* * *

****Advance Forward!**

May's POV

It's fun hanging out with the girls. Our Pokemon look happy as well. Dawn, Zoey, and I talked about how we got into contests and the rivals we've met and friends we've made. Girls' talk was pretty fun. I was just about to tell Dawn about the Johto contests, when we heard a crash.

All three of us rushed to Ash's room, just to see him on the floor. He probably fell off his bed. Ash is such a klutz. He must have been dreaming or something. I felt Drew's presence when he entered the room. He looked at Ash with a look that seemed to say, "What is he doing?"

"Ash, you do have a bed, y'know," said Brock.

Ash looked up sheepishly and replied, "I know. I was just dreaming I was in the middle of a really tough battle." Pikachu looked up sheepishly at us as well, imitating Ash. Ash got up and walked into the bathroom. He came out, dressed in his casual clothes, instead of his pajamas.

He walked out, and Dawn followed him, shouting, "Ash, where're you going?" She must be a really great friend of Ash's. I've been watching them, and it looks like Dawn looks up to Ash a lot. At least he's making a good impression on Dawn as a fellow trainer.

"You look like you're deep in thought," Drew whispered in my ear. I jumped a little, surprised by how close he was to me. Drew chuckled. "Did I startle you, May?" I felt heat rising up to my cheeks. I don't know if it was from embarrassment or from anger, but I still felt heat.

"Drew, I would appreciate it if you don't do that again," I said. Drew just laughed some more. I hated it when he laughed at me. He thinks he's all high and mighty. Why did I put up with him anyway? Thankfully, Zoey started talking about something else. The rest of us started talking too, and it helped me take my mind off Drew.

Suddenly, Ash came running into the room. He started babbling about some kind of Pokemon at Lake Valor, but we couldn't understand him. Piplup snapped him out of his shock by blowing some bubbles in his face. It helped a lot. He started to talk like a normal person.

When Ash finished talking, we all became slient. Brock broke the silence, though. "So you're saying you saw some kind of strange light at Lake Valor, am I right?"

"Yeah, it's like the light was alive or something like that. What did you think, Pikachu?" Ash asked his companion. Pikachu lifted his head and answered, "Pika Pika." I can't really understand Pokemon, but Pikachu seems to be agreeing with Ash. I've heard of something like that, at Snowpoint City. I wonder if Drew remembers the story too.

Dawn seemed to remember something. I looked at her and she started talking. "The same thing happened to me." Ash had a surprised look on his face when she said that. Dawn continued, "It happened on the first day I met Piplup. I was at Lake Verity, and saw a strange shadow. Professor Rowan's always said that there was a legendary Pokemon living in Lake Verity. It sounds to me that you and I had the same kind of experience."

I can't help but notice Dawn's lips twitch upwards, slightly. She must be a little happy, for some reason. Ash was really surprised. He turned to Pikachu and asked it if it thought they saw a legendary Pokemon. I was about to tell them about the legend Drew and I heard at Snowpoint City.

Apparently, it looked like Drew did the talking for me. "May and I heard a story like that when we were at Snowpoint City." Everyone paid full attention to him now. Drew cast me a look that I interpreted as, "You really should try to remember more things. I can tell you were struggling to remember the lake." I almost snapped. I hate it when Drew makes fun of me like that! Ugh, I'm not little Ms. Perfect, Drew.

"Around that area, there's a lake called Lake Acuity," Drew continued the story. "There're these rumors that say a mysterious Pokemon lives at that lake."

Zoey commented, "I know what he's saying is the truth. I'm from Snowpoint City, so I used to hear those stories when I was younger. The legend of the mysterious Pokemon at Lake Acuity is well known around there. It speaks of a shadowy figure, emerging from the lake time to time. It's the same type of legend at both Lake Valor and Lake Verity."

"Lake Verity, Valor, and Acuity; they're names mean truth, courage, and insight, right? Something close to them?" I stated. The names of the lakes are special. Maybe they reflect the legendary Pokemon that live there. Sinnoh's really cool. There isn't anything like that in Hoenn. Well, maybe except for the Kyogre/Groudon incident and legend.

"Aren't you rather sharp today? You're actually making smart comments," snickered Drew. There he goes again.

"Drew," I mumbled, trying, **trying** to sound ominous. "Your comments do hurt me, y'know. I'm not made out of stone!"

I expected him to act cool and pompous, and ignore me, and that's what he partially did. Drew looked a little taken aback, but regained his composure really fast.

Dawn noticed the tension between us, so, thankfully, she started a new subject. "Hey, hey, so if the legends have something to do with legendary Pokemon, do you guys think they might be related to the Sinnoh space-time legend?" There's another legend in Sinnoh? This region's just full of mysteries and legends. It's actually pretty interesting.

"You got a point, Dawn," stated Zoey. Brock nodded in agreement. Dawn smiled and said, "I'll call Professor Rowan and ask him sometime."

Drew interrupted, "Guys, I don't mean to interrupt this little group chat, but I think it would be best if we went to sleep now. It's getting late." I looked at a nearby clock and saw that it really was late.

"You're right. I'm heading back to my room. Bye guys." I got up and walked out of the room. I was walking back to my room, when I heard footsteps behind me. I turned around to see Drew.

I stood in place, waiting for him to say whatever insult he had for me. Surprisingly, he slowly walked past me and whispered, "Sorry." He also slipped me a red rose. I just stood there, paralyzed. I really don't know why my heart skipped a beat. He was just apologizing. Yeah, it was just an apology.

I snapped out of my thoughts soon, and trotted back to my room. I lied in bed, twirling the rose he gave me in my hands. I really don't know why his actions bothered me so much. A lot of people say, behind my back, that I'm a really dense girl. I don't see things normal girls detect. I can think why I'm always nervous and wants to show off in front of Drew, but I really don't want to think that way. He's **just** a rival, May. He's just a rival. I sighed and put the rose on my bedside table. I tried to go to sleep, but it was a little hard.

I finally gave up and got out of bed. I walked out to the huge balcony the hotel had, feeling the cool breeze. "May, what're you doing here?" I could recognize that voice anywhere. I turned around, and sure enough, it was Drew.

"What do you want, Drew?" I asked. I'm not sure how to act towards him: angry, happy, or just uncaring. He walked up, beside me, and leaned on the balcony.

"Sorry if I went overboard back there," he apologized. I gaped; literally gaped at him. This was too out of character, even for Drew.

"Okay, who are you and what have you done with Drew?" I teased. Okay, obviously, this is Drew, but he's just too out of character. What happened to the old, arrogant, cool Drew? Pft, did I really say 'cool'?

"Very funny, May. I may not sound like myself, but still, I'm sorry. I may have acted like an arrogant guy," Drew started. 'Acted'? More like **was** or maybe **is** and arrogant guy. Drew continued, "However, I really am sorry for the hurtful comments." I tried to speak, but the words just wouldn't come out of my mouth. Drew was looking at me, expecting me to say something. Of all the words I could utter, the ones that came out were…

"Feeling guilty now, are you? You really fell for it, Drew. I thought better of you. Now you feel some pain." Drew's expression changed dramatically, and it was **not** pleasant. Why, **why** did I have to say that to him? I could have thanked him for understanding me, but no. What is **wrong** with me? I tried to take back my words, "Uh, no, that is… I mean…"

Drew just interrupted me. "Don't bother, May. So you were just pretending. Is this payback, May?" I was at a loss for words. I must have given the impression that what I said **was** payback. I didn't mean it that way! Drew walked off later.

I just stood there, letting the breeze blow my hair in my face. How can I be such an idiot? I can't even imagine what kind of torture he has for me tomorrow. To top it off, **if we can't get along again, we'll never win the Twin Aqua Ribbons!** Now I really feel like crying. When I got back to my room, I was out like a light as soon as my head hit the pillow.

The Next Day

"We're back, ladies and gentlemen! Today will be the first round of battles for the Wallace Cup! Now, the computer will give a random shuffle, and the pairs that will be facing each other will be revealed!" announced Marian.

I kept my eyes on the screen. It looks like none of our pairs will be facing off… yet. It looks like Drew and I are up third. I glanced at him. He looks like the same old Drew on the outside, but I really have no idea what he's thinking. I looked at the screen again. Out of all our pairs, Drew and I are up first. Why is fate tormenting me like this?

While the first match was going on, I saw Drew sit in a bench in a corner. I had the urge to go and talk to him, but my cowardly side wouldn't let me. Dawn must have sensed my nervousness. She came up to me and asked, "May, did something happen?" I could feel the tears starting to well up in my eyes. Dawn looked at me intently and asked again, "Did something happen?"

I slowly nodded, and tried to keep the tears from spilling out. I can't believe I sabotaged our friendship/rivalry/partnership like this! I managed to say, "I… ruined my partnership with Drew yesterday night."

Dawn looked at me, confused. "You guys met up last night after our group dispersed?" she asked. I nodded again. She straightened up and asked, "Okay, so tell me exactly what you did." So, I told her the whole story. Drew apologizing to me and giving me the rose, and everything.

Daw flinched. "You **did** mess up, big time, May. You really should go and talk to him, or you can wave the Twin Aqua Ribbons good-bye."

"Thanks Dawn, that was really motivating," I commented, sarcasm dripping from my voice. I looked at Drew again. He looks like he was concentrating on something, or in deep thought. I sighed and leaned on Dawn. She patted my head like she was my mother.

"May, you really should talk to him. I'm serious this time. I want to battle your pair sometime," admitted Dawn. May lifted her head and looked at Dawn, tears threatening to spill out. Dawn was taken aback. "Um, May? Are you okay?"

I can't believe it, but I started sniffling; semi-crying. I'm trying so hard not to cry. I can't hold it in anymore. If I don't talk to Drew sometime soon, not only will our partnership be ruined, but we'll lose the contest as well! I stammered, "D-Drew's the arrogant type. H-He may not listen to me. I think I've been thinking only about myself. I haven't been looking at the situation from his point of view. How idiotic and dense am I?"

Dawn kept trying to talk to me, but my silent sniffling must be stopping her every time she tries. I could see her expression getting more frantic. She finally said, "May, you've been sniffling for quite a long time, and now, it's **your turn to battle!**"

That comment stopped my sniffling. I looked up at the monitor, and sure enough, the winners of the second round were announced. Crap.

This isn't good.

This is **not good.**

**This is not good!**

I turned to look at Drew, and saw that he wasn't there anymore. I looked at the entrance to the coordinators' lounge, and saw him walking out. "Dawn, I have to go now. I'll just try to solve this problem… somehow." Saying so, I followed Drew out.

I tried to catch up to him, but he was walking too fast. "Drew! Drew, come on, wait up," I shouted. He stopped for a while, giving enough time for me to catch up. I tried to talk to him. "Drew, listen. I really didn't mean…"

He interrupted me again. "Just stop it, May. Right now, the contest is the important thing." He walked away after that. I was about to snap. I'm trying to repair our friendship, and this is how he responds? Okay, fine, maybe I was a bit heartless when I said that comment, but still, we need to win this battle! I shook off the fogginess in my head and followed Drew.

When we got on stage, we immediately called out our Pokemon. "Skitty, the stage is yours!" I threw Skitty's Pokeball, and she came out, landing lightly on her feet. The party seal I attached on the ball capsule did its job with releasing multi-colored confetti to accompany Skitty's entrance.

"Absol, you're up," said Drew, as he threw Absol's Pokeball out. He also used a party seal to accompany Skitty's. The opponents released their Pokemon from their Pokeballs as well: a Gabite and a Houndoom. The girl looks pretty confident, and smug as well. Just before we began, the girl snickered, "I wonder if you two are as good as they say. Both of you got into the Hoenn and Kanto Grand Festival, but were they flukes?"

Okay, that really fired me up. For a second, I forgot that I had a fight with Drew. I was really fired up. It was just me, and the orange-red, curly haired girl. 1

"Begin!" said Marian. I plunged into an attack. "Skitty, tackle that Gabite!" Skitty charged towards the Gabite, but that Pokemon swiftly jumped to dodge the attack. Drew's Absol jumped, and got behind Gabite.

"Flamethrower!" commanded the girl's partner. His Houndoom launched a column of fire towards Absol, and hit successfully. The girl echoed, "Dragon Rage." I snapped out of my frozen state.

"Skitty, look out!" I warned. Skitty looked left and right, then up, but it was a little too late. The Gabite fired a red-orange fireball at Skitty. My poor Skitty!

"May, you have to concentrate!" shouted Drew.

I don't know why I replied, "Well, you help me out too, know-it-all!" It just added fuel to the fire.

"At least I'm trying to win this!" retorted Drew.

"Wow, your Absol's attack was such a great attempt." My voice was dripping with sarcasm.

"Thank you May, and so was your Skitty," replied Drew, with equal sarcasm.

Marian said, "Oh my, it looks like May and Drew aren't getting along well. They just lost some points for getting their Pokemon hit too! This isn't turning out well for those two."

I was getting irritated now. "Skitty, Assist!" Drew commanded his Absol as well. "Absol, use Razor Wind."

Skitty's assist turned out to be Beautifly's Silver Wind. Absol released a wave of energy towards the Gabite and Houndoom as well. Unfortunately for us, the Silver Wind and Razor Wind hit, canceling each other out. Now I got really annoyed. "Drew, don't get in the way of Skitty's attack!" I shouted.

Drew retorted, "Well you did the same thing to Absol's Razor Wind!" Oh Arceus, this isn't good. We'll never win the first match at this rate.

"I expected better of you two. Oh well," that other girl taunted. "Gabite, take down." Gabite glowed, and charged towards Skitty and Absol, who were both frozen and confused. Gabite's take down attack hit both our Pokemon, and the two of them were thrown up. I have to do something!

"Houndoom, Flamethrower again!" the girl's partner commanded. Houndoom blew a column of flame towards Skitty and Absol. We've already lost points because that take down attack hit our Pokemon. We can't afford to lose more points!

"Skitty, Blizzard!" I shouted. Skitty blew out a huge blizzard attack, which rivaled the Houndoom's flamethrower. Skitty tried to keep her blizzard attack going, even while she was falling. I need Skitty to do something to cushion both her and Absol's fall.

I didn't need to do anything, though. "Absol, use Water Pulse," Drew commanded. Absol's body became outlined in blue, and it released a large water tornado around its body, blocking out the flamethrower attack. Skitty must have stopped her Blizzard too, since the water didn't freeze. The good thing was that it protected both of them, and gave Skitty and Absol enough time to land safely.

I looked at Drew, but he ignored me. I sighed and got my head back in the match. I don't want to lose this. I've already made it to two Grand Festivals. This ribbon is just a step towards my next one. I cannot lose here!

* * *

**Sorry if this chapter seems a little shorter, but I wanted to end here. The next chapter's going to be in Drew's POV, so I want some chapter space to describe what he's thinking during the match too, since it's not done yet. **

**I was trying to describe Ursula/Urara here, since she also has a Gabite. She mentioned that she was in the Wallace Cup too, but dropped out after the appeals round. I wanted her to make an appearance in the battle round too, so… I decided to put her in as well! **

**I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter! Reviews make me happy! **


	6. New Author's Note

(New) Author's Note

**This is a completely different author's note, by the way. **

**Since I've had a few readers who would like me to continue this story instead of write a new one, I'll do it! I'll finish up this story, then make a new one in the Unova region with the same couples with one more couple (Iris and Dent). It'll be named "Coordinators' Couples' Contest: Unova Style". I would like to ask my readers to please be patient with me, since I've putting off an update to this story for a long time. I've lost interest in Pokemon, for a while. That's one of the reasons why I didn't update for a long time. Now, I'm trying to get back in the mood of Pokemon so that I can update this story. ^_^ **

**Readers who are also fans of the manga, Fairy Tail, and of the couple LokixLucy, I would like to ask you to please check out my Fairy Tail story, "A Spirit's Guidance". I hope you all will bear with me, and look out for the next chapter on "Coordinators' Couples' Contest"! **

**~ SheriMeister  
**


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